Cables and tubing are conventionally wound as coils on reels for storage and transportation. In some cases, the reels are incorporated into drums that enclose and protect the coils. The reels and drums used for these purposes have been provided in many forms. Some reels are composed of a cylindrical core having circular flanges permanently attached at both of its ends. Other reels, such as the reels described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,222, granted on Jul. 5, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,796, granted on Apr. 23, 2013, are composed of parts that can be transported separately from one another, assembled to form a drum, and later disassembled for storage and re-use.
In many cases, it is desirable to transport cable or tubing using a drum having not only a core but also an external cover for protection of the cable or tubing during transport. In such a drum, the cable or tubing can be coiled within an annular space between the core and the external cover. Although an external cover is frequently desirable for protection of cable or tubing, a drum composed of a core, an external cover, and one or more flanges is not readily assembled and disassembled, and when these drum components are disassembled, they are not readily stored in a compact form. There is a need for a drum, having a core and an external cover, that is simple to manufacture, light in weight, easy to assemble and disassemble, sufficiently strong to withstand impact, and composed of elements that can be readily stored in a small space when disassembled, and that can be transported easily in a disassembled condition.